I. The Political System of the Mali Empire
The Mali Empire was a powerful kingdom in West Africa, founded around 1230 AD, and there were several tribes and kingdoms in West Africa around the 13th century.
Conflicts between these tribes and kingdoms often broke out, and the people lived in hardship, and at the same time, the spread of Islam changed the spiritual outlook of society, people's minds gradually opened up, and a corrupt and greedy aristocracy appeared in society.
In this context, Sanko Dolby, a Bengali who was respected and supported by the common people as a pacifist, succeeded in uniting the tribes of the Mali region and eventually establishing the Mali Empire by personally leading the war against civil strife and other clans.
Under the leadership of Bengali Sango Dolby, the Mali Empire created a politically centralized political system that valued talent selection and effectively unified and managed all areas of the region it ruled.
It established a complete set of land laws, safeguarded the rights and interests of the common people, reduced the factors of social instability, and also increased the people's sense of identity and support for imperial rule.
In the Middle Ages, gold, silver, salt and slaves were considered the four largest traded commodities in Africa, and the Mali Empire became one of the most powerful kingdoms in West Africa by controlling these resources.
The Malian Empire became one of the world's largest producers of gold by mastering the gold mines in West Africa, while it also used colonial speedboats to patrol its coastline, protect maritime trade, and further boost its economic prosperity.
In the late 12th and early 13th centuries, drought, climate change and animal migration in southern Africa triggered large-scale population movements and major social changes, which led to political, economic and cultural interactions between historical periods, and Bengali Sango Dolby successfully waged wars against civil strife and other clans in a chaotic situation.
Royalty was the most central part of the organizational structure of the Mali Empire, and Sango Dolby, a Bengali who was elected the first emperor of the Mali Empire, established a strong centralized government by controlling the various territories. The rulers of the Mali Empire enjoyed extensive power and employed a variety of means to consolidate their position.
They set up a multi-layered bureaucracy, sent officials to patrol the place to ensure that local officials complied with the laws and policies set by the emperor, and took measures such as exemption from taxes and land awards to maintain the people's support for the royal power.
The Mali Empire divided its territory into several provinces, each with multiple counties. Each county is run by an official, usually appointed by the central government or recommended by a local ruler.
These county officials oversaw local security and land administration and ensured the enforcement of the laws enacted by the emperor, and the Malian Empire set up special institutions such as commercial guilds and barracks to promote trade and ensure national security.
The army was commanded by the emperor himself, who usually had years of training and experience to hold the position, commanding tens of thousands of soldiers, including infantry, cavalry, spearmen, archers, etc., and this army was considered one of the most powerful armies in the entire West African region.
In addition, the Malian Empire established a police-like agency to regulate the safety of cities and roads, as well as combat crimes such as theft.
Since most of the people of the Mali Empire came from different tribes and peoples, each with its own traditional laws, the Malian Empire created a complete system of traditional law by merging these traditional laws.
This traditional law usually consists of ancient customs, practices and oral traditions, and is mainly used to deal with cases of kinship, division of property, marriage and family disputes.
Islam began to spread in West Africa around the 13th century, and the Mali Empire gradually transformed into an Islamic state under the leadership of the Bengali Sango Dolby.
Religious law was constantly strengthened in the Malian Empire, where it was used to deal with legal issues such as land, property, marriage and inheritance, and judges and lawyers in the Malian Empire were usually Muslims who received rigorous education and training to ensure the correct understanding and application of Islamic law.
Soon after the establishment of the Malian Empire, it began to learn the legal system from other countries in Western Europe, and gradually formed its own legal law on the basis of it, through which the Malian Empire established a complete judicial system, including various courts, judges and lawyers, etc., to deal with disputes and criminals.
II. Economic Development of the Mali Empire
The Mali Empire is located in the gold belt of West Africa and has rich gold resources, under the rule of Sango Dolby, the Mali Empire began to mine gold on a large scale and transport it to North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula for trade, the empire's gold trade was very important at that time, it not only increased the empire's income, but also promoted the economic development of Africa and other regions.
Due to the lack of salt resources in the Sahel region, where the Mali Empire was located, the Malian Empire usually imported salt from the northern desert region, and this salt was often used in food storage and cooking. The salt trade of the Mali Empire produced lucrative profits and occupied an important position in the empire's revenues.
In addition to gold and salt, the slave trade was one of the important trading activities of the Mali Empire, which acquired a large number of slaves through its conquest of the surrounding areas and the slave trade.
Slaves were often used in labor-intensive industries such as agricultural production and mining mining, and since slaves were an important part of the economy of the Mali Empire, the slave trade was very prevalent at the time.
The farmers of the Mali Empire were adept at using local resources, inventing agricultural techniques such as irrigation, terraces, and planting fruit trees, and introduced new agricultural tools and crops, such as iron hoes and corn, which provided more options for agricultural production.
The empire's wide variety of agricultural products, including grain, cotton, jute, palm oil, peanuts, and soybeans, not only met the domestic needs of the Malian Empire, but also exported to the surrounding areas to earn income, and through the development of agriculture, the Malian Empire expanded trade, increased the incomes of farmers and merchants, and promoted tax and fiscal growth.
The rulers adopted a series of measures, such as land reform, tax exemptions and slave bans, to provide better security for farmers and landowners, which not only promoted the development of agricultural production, but also eased social contradictions and maintained social stability.
The handicraft industry of the Malian Empire was mainly textile, iron manufacturing and ceramic manufacturing, among which the textile industry was one of the most representative industries, it was a very important economic industry at that time, and was widely used in daily life clothing, bedding and accessories and other fields.
The textiles of the empire were mostly made of local cotton and cyanide, and natural dyes were used, in addition, iron manufacturing was an important industry in the Mali Empire, and the weapons and tools they made were very popular at the time.
Gaining vast wealth by dominating the surrounding areas and controlling trade routes, merchants of the Malian Empire traveled to and from the Sahara, shipping goods such as slaves, gold, salt, and handicrafts from the Malian Empire to North Africa and beyond for trade, which were not only welcomed by the local population, but also transported further afield for trade.
In the Mali Empire at that time, many occupations were related to handicrafts, such as carving, weaving, leather processing and metalworking, and handicraft manufacturing was the only source of livelihood for many people and played an important role in economic and social development.
In addition, through innovation and design, the handicrafts of the Malian Empire have also become works of art and cultural heritage, attracting the attention of a large number of tourists and collectors.
III. The Influence and Enlightenment of the Mali Empire
Islam was introduced to the Mali Empire in the early 11th century and gradually became the dominant religion there, and the arrival of Muslims not only changed the belief structure of the Malian Empire, but also had a huge impact on politics and culture.
The people of the Malian Empire began to follow the precepts of Islam, such as prohibition of alcohol, pork, and daily worship, and Islam brought wider cultural ties to the Malian Empire, facilitating the introduction of the Arabic language and the Koran.
Before the introduction of Islam into the Malian Empire, traditional religion was the main form of belief among the people of the Malian Empire, which included a series of deity worship and religious ceremonies such as sacrifices, confessions and prayers, which were still widespread among the inhabitants of the Malian Empire and had a profound impact on local culture and art.
The philosophical thought of the empire was mainly manifested in the exploration and reflection of the universe and nature, especially among the officials and nobility of the Mali Empire, a large number of philosophical works appeared, which explored the nature of the universe, the existence of human beings and the relationship between humans and gods.
This philosophical thought is influenced by the Islamic cultural tradition and draws on the essence of foreign philosophical ideas such as Greek philosophy, Persian philosophy, and Indian philosophy.
The Jibari schools are representative of traditional informal education in the Malian Empire, which provide basic literacy and handicraft skills, usually run by village teachers or mystics and are mainly taught orally, these schools do not require any qualifications or qualifications, but they provide students with a way to acquire knowledge and skills.
Muslim students acquire religious knowledge by studying Islamic texts such as the Quran and the Hadith, and madrasahs are often run by Muslim organizations or temples in the local community where students can choose to stay and receive full-day education, these schools are mainly religious but also teach students skills such as calligraphy, mathematics, and astronomy.
The court schools were specialized educational institutions for the children of the Malian Empire's nobility and royal officials, and these schools covered a wide range of subjects, including poetry, history, law, politics and philosophy.
Schools were usually founded by royalty or aristocracy, where students received high-quality education in knowledge and skills that could become government officials, aristocrats, or cultural elites in the future.
The literature of the Malian Empire is mainly oral transmission and written slogan poems telling the history of cities and civilizations, which were taught in the Jibari School and the Court School, which reflect the history, legends, traditions and religion of the Malian Empire.
Griot epics are a type of oral literature, usually performed by professional poets who write and interpret these poems in Old Mande or other dialects proficient in the language.
The music of the empire includes wooden guitars, West African drums, karaba drums and other instruments, and the musical talent of the people makes these music not only have beautiful melodies, but also full of sensual and soul power, able to evoke a strong emotional resonance of the audience.
Art is mainly manifested in painting, carving and jewelry, these works of art are usually used to decorate palaces, temples, homes and banquet places, the artistic style is mainly simple, bold and abstract, especially in the field of painting and sculpture, they convey deep cultural connotations through flat geometric lines and symbolic patterns.
Buildings include royal palaces, temples, and markets, which incorporate local materials and craft techniques such as earth, stone, grass and bamboo, and the architectural design of the Mali Empire follows the principles of simplicity, comfort and practicality, and they have developed somewhat in aesthetics and architectural design compared to other African countries.
IV. The Contribution of the Mali Empire
The prosperity of the empire led to the development of desert commercial networks and trans-Saharan trade, which led to the promotion of trade and commerce on the African continent, which promoted the spread of knowledge, culture and technology, and laid the foundation for economic growth in modern Africa.
The establishment of the empire promoted changes in the political and social structure of Africa, and the success of the empire demonstrated the plurality and feasibility of the African political system and laid the foundation for today's democratic institutions, electoral politics, and federalism.
The fields of literature, music, art and architecture formed a unique cultural style, laying the foundation for the diversity and creativity of African culture, and its capital, Thimbutu, strictly adhered to Islamic teachings, became one of the most important centers of Islamic culture in Africa at that time, contributing to the development of Islam today and cultural exchanges in North Africa.
It is located in the arid region south of the desert of West Africa, but it has participated in world trade by linking places such as North Africa and Western Asia through desert commercial networks and trans-Saharan trade, which greatly promoted the spread of knowledge, culture and technology between Eurasia and promoted the development of human civilization.
It is a multi-ethnic, multicultural and multi-religious country, and its domestic culture is very rich and diverse, and public spaces and public events can be shared between different cultures and religions.
During this period, Islam was popularized and developed, and traditional religions were gradually accepted and integrated. This religious inclusiveness is an important source of reconciliation, tolerance and multiculturalism advocated in the modern world.